Bridle-bit.



No. 801,436. PATENTBD OCT. l0'y 1905. P. G. ATHERTON.

BRIDLE BIT.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 5. 1904.

7a. @ma ma @v- ,roof of a horses mouth.

UNTTFD STATES PATENT @FFTCE BFllDLE-BIT..v

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1905.

Application led May 5, 1904. Serial No. 206,520.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FISHER C. ATHnR'roN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Bridle-Bits, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in bridle-bits.

The object of the invention is to provide a bit which will be powerfuland effective in its action upon vicious and tough-mouthed horses andwill also prevent tongue-lolling, lugging, side pulling', and the like.The bit, while being adapted for these purposes, is so constructed thatit is not a cruel bit and is suitable for general use and upon all kindsof horses.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of a bitembodying` the invention and indicating by broken lines the Fig. 2 is aside elevation thereof, showing a portion of a horses head and the checkand driving reins by broken lines.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in both the figures.

The bit consists of the lower or main bar A and the upper or check barB. The main bar A is of the ordinary jointed or snaflle-bitconstruction, consisting of side pieces a hinged together at their innerends and provided at their outer ends with the usual side rings a' a.The upper or check bar B is preferably made of smaller or lighter stockthan the main bar and is rigid or unjointed and of peculiar shape. Itscenter portion is arched or bowed upwardly, as shown at to substantiallyconform to the curvature of the roof of the horses mouth, and its endportions 7) are also bent upwardly, being connected to the arched centeiportions by short horizontal side portions 75 )2.

7J Z13 are rings secured to the upper extremities of the ends Z1' 7)' ofthe check-bar for the attachment of the lower ends of the overdrawcheck,which holds the check-bar normally in the upright position shown withits arched portion up in close proximity to the roof of Athe horsesmouth.

rThe upper or check bar is loosely and movably connected to the lowerbar by suitable links c, slidably engaging the horizontal side portionsof the check-bar and attached to the hinged parts of the lower lbar bystaples o' secured to the latter. This manner of connecting the bit-barspermits considerable freedom of movement of the check-bar relative tothe lower bar, but enables the driver to shift the check-bar whennecessary by the proper manipulation of the reins, which are secured tothe side rings of the lower bar.

When the bit is in its proper position in the horses mouth, as shown inthe drawings, the upper lip and side of the mouth rest upon thehorizontal side portions b2 62 of the checkbar and the arched centerportion is held erect in the mouth by the overdraw-check adjacent to theroof of the mouth, but is held out of contact with the roof of the mouthby the pressure of the lip on the side portions of the bar. This is thenormal position of the check-bar; but if the horse attempts to throw hishead outwardly or downwardly for the purpose of lugging or pulling thecheck-rein at once forces the arched part of the checkbar against theroof of the mouth,-which is tender and sensitive. The lips yieldsufliciently to allow such contact of the bar with the roof of themouth. This causes the horse to raise his head and hold it up to avoidthe unpleasant sensation. Should the horse, however, return to thepressure and finally conclude to bear it, as they will sometimes do, aslight movement of the lower bar by the reins will shift the arch of thecheck-bar against the side portion of the roof of his mouth and make himthrow his head up. A similar action of the bit occurs when the horseattempts to press down or hang hard upon the bit. The effective actionof the bit may be increased when necessary by the driver moving the bitback and forth in the horses mouth. This serves to force the arched partof the checkbar iirst against one side of the roof of the mouth and thenagainst the other. This will produce an immediate effect upon the mosttough-mouthed horse. In side pulling the horse seizes the bit and throwshis head on one side. This forces the curved portion of the check-baragainst the roof of the mouth on the side opposite to the directiontaken by the horse. The side pressure thus produced compels the horse tobring his head back to its regular position. This bitis also designed toprevent tongue-lolling, in doing which a horse always runs his tongueout over the bit. The construction of this bit is such that there is notsuiiicient room between the check-bar and the roof of the mouth for thepassage of 'the tongue, and if the horse attempts to run his tongue outbetween the main bar and the IOO check-bar it will be pinched by themovement of the bit and after one or two attempts he will cease hiseii'orts.

lt will be understood that the arched center portion olA the check-barshould conform quite strict-ly to the arch of the rootl of the horsesmouth, and it can be readily bent or fitted to a particular horse, it'necessary.

l claim as my invention*A l. A bridle-bit Comprising a main bar, acheclvbar having an arched central portion conforming substantially tothe roof of the horses inout-h, straight side portions on opposite sidesof said central portion terminating` in upwardly-extending end portionsadapted to be connected with the bridle-check to hold said bit normallyin an upright position, and means for loosely connectingl said straightside portions of said check-bar with said main bar, whereby saidcheck-bar is capable oli' longitudinal movement in the horses mouth,substantially as set forth.

2. A bridle-bit comprising a main bar, a check-bar having an archedcentral portion conforming substantially to the roof of the horsesmouth, straight side portions on opposite sides of said central portionterminating in up wardly-extending end portions adapted to be connectedwith the bridle-check to hold said bit normally in an upright position,and links loosely connecting said straight side portions of saidcheck-bar with said main bar, whereby said check-bar is capable oflongitudinal movement in the horses month, substantially as set forth.

3. A bridle-bit comprising a main bar, a check-bar having an archedcentral portion conforming substantially to the root' of the horsesmouth, straight side portions on opposite sides of said central portionterminating in u pwardlyextending end portions adapted to be connectedwith the bridle-check to hold said bit normally in an upright position,and links slidably engaging at one of their ends said straight sideportions of said checkbar and confined between the arched centralportion thereofl and said upturned ends and pivotally connected at theiropposite ends to said main bar, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 4th day of May, 1904.

FISHER (l. ATHERTUN.

lfVitnesses:

E. C. HARD, C. M. BENTLEY.

